Contents 1 Introduction 2 Protocols 3 Quickstart 4 Setting up 5 Network 6 Patch 7 Playbacks 8 Show Control 9 Protocol Conversion 10 Monitors 11 Settings 12 vManager 13 Kiosc Appendices A Trigger Types B Task Types C Templates D API...
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2020 Visual Productions BV. All rights reserved. No parts of this work may be reproduced in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or infor- mation storage and retrieval systems - without the written permission of the publisher.
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Declaration of Conformity We, manufacturer Visual Productions BV, herby declare under sole responsibility, that the following device: BStation2 Conforms to the following EC Directives, including all amendments: EMC Directive 2004/108/EG And the following harmonized standards have been applied: NEN-EN-IEC 61000-6-1:2007...
A browser or computer is not required for standalone use after the initial set-up. At the time of writing this manual the B-Station2 firmware was at version 1.01. This manual discusses setting up and programming the unit. Chapter 2 provides background information on the communication protocols used the B-Station2.
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Figure 1.1: B-Station2 Assigning buttons to trigger the cues (discussed in chapter 8) Features The feature set of the B-Station2 includes: 6 user-assignable push-buttons RGB coloured LEDs Ethernet based, supporting protocols like UDP, OSC, Art-Net and sACN DMX-512 Web-based user-interface for programming Standalone control for 6 zones, 32 fixtures and 6x64 cues...
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1 universe 1 universe White Art-Net input+output input+output sACN input+output input input+output input+output input+output input+output class I class I DHCP Limitations The B-Station2 is a powerful device with many possibilities, however, there are some limitations as shown in the following table.
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UTP network cable 3 sheets with adhesive icons Figure 1.2: B-Station2 box contents Saving data to memory This manual will describe how to configure the B-Station2 and program play- backs, action, etc. The unit’s web-interface is used for editing these kinds of...
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RAM memory is, however, volatile and its content will be lost through a power cycle. For this reason the B-Station2 will copy any changes in the RAM memory to its onboard flash memory. Flash memory retains its data even when not powered.
Chapter 2 Protocols The B-Station2 supports various protocols. This chapter describes these proto- cols and to which extent they are implemented in the B-Station2. DMX-512 DMX-512 is the standard communication protocol for stage lighting. Its official name is E1.11-2008 USITT DMX512-A. Nowadays the reach of the DMX proto- col has extended beyond entertainment lighting and is also used for architectural lighting.
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32 more devices. The Splitter can also function as a signal booster as each port supports another 300 meter long connection. The B-Station2 has one DMX port and is therefor able control 512 channels. The port can be configured either as input or output. Figure 2.2 shows the pinout of the connector.
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Show Controllers. It does not incorporate error checking, therefor it is faster than TCP but less reliable. There are two ways how to have the B-Station2 respond to incoming UDP messages. The API (see page 83) makes typical B-Station2 functions available through UDP.
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There are two ways how to have the B-Station2 respond to incoming OSC messages. Firstly, the API (see page 81) makes typical B-Station2 functions available through OSC. Secondly, custom messages can be programmed in the Show Control page (see page 37).
Chapter 3 Quickstart This chapter provides step by step tutorials on how to program your B-Station2 for some typical tasks: Remote control the playbacks in a CueCore2 Stand-alone control of a RGB fixture Remote control the playbacks in CueCore2 This tutorial shows how to use the B-Station2 to remote the CueCore2. Follow the next few steps in order to link the B-Station’s buttons to the CueCore2’s...
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CueCore 2 192.168.1.11 255.255.255.0 The B-Station2 can be set to static IP 192.168.1.10 by long-pressing the reset button on the device’s electronic board. 3. Prepare the CueCore2 Make sure the CueCore2 has six cues inside playback 1. Each cues should refer to a track with a certain lighting scene.
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5. Set OSC IP address Go to the B-Station2 Settings page and fill in ’192.168.1.11:8000’ in the Out IP 1 field in the OSC settings. Pressing the buttons on the B-Station2 should now activate cues within the CueCore2. Stand-alone control of a RGB fixture This example will patch one RGB fixture, create a playback with three cues and...
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2. Patch Use the browser to go to the B-Station2’s Patch page. Select the first fixture slot and assign a RGB personality from the table on the right. 3. Program the playback Go to the Playback page and select the first fixture. Bring up the Red slider in the Programmer section.
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4. Clear the Programmer Clear the Programmer by pressing the Clear button twice. 5. Assign buttons Go to the Show control page. Add the ’Buttons - 6 Cues’ template. Pressing the buttons 1 till 3 will now activate cues 1 till 3. The button’s LEDs will indicate which cue is active.
Mounting The B-Station2 is wall-mount, it is compatible with European and American gang boxes. If no gang box is available then the B-Station2 can also be surface mounted. The inside of the B-Station2’s enclosure suggests where you can create a hole for the cable to enter.
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The B-Station2 is Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) powered, it requires PoE Class I. Labels The B-Station2 is shipped with various adhesive labels that you can apply to the buttons. If you wish to create your own labels then please use the following dimensions.
B-Station2, however, once the device is programmed then it is not necessary anymore for the B-Station2 to be connected to an Ethernet network. A PoE switch or a PoE injector can simply be used to power the B-Station2 without any further need of network connection.
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IP Address The B-Station2 supports both static IP addresses and automatic IP addresses. By default, the B-Station2 is set to DHCP in which it will be automatically assigned an IP address by the DHCP server in the network. The ’DHCP server’...
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By briefly pressing the reset button on the back of the device it toggles between static and automatic IP addresses. When switching modes, the B-Station2’s leds will briefly flash in red for DHCP, or in white for static. By pressing and holding the reset button (see figure 5.2) on the device for 3 seconds, it will reconfigure the unit to the factory default IP address and...
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Accessing via a Virtual Private Network (VPN) tunnel requires more setup efforts, also the router needs to support the VPN feature. Once set up, this is a very secure way to communicate with the B-Station2. A VPN is a network technology that creates a secure network connection over a public network such as the Internet or a private network owned by a service provider.
Chapter 6 Patch The Patch page is the starting point when using the B-Station2 as a stand- alone DMX controller. This page is used for identifying which fixtures will be controlled. Up to 32 fixtures can be entered. Figure 6.1: Patch Page Personality Each fixture requires a ’personality’...
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Virtual Dimmer Personalities with RGB but without Intensity will automatically be given a vir- tual dimmer. This means that the B-Station2 will act as if the fixture has an intensity channel and allows for RGB and intensity to be programmed sepa-...
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Discover Use the Discover button to search for RDM capable fixtures. Fixtures found via a RDM discovery will show their RDM UID in the patch table. Locate When the Locate checkbox is enabled, then all fixtures will be doused except the selected fixtures;...
Chapter 7 Playbacks When using the B-Station2 as a stand-alone lighting controller then the lighting scenes and effects are programmed in the Playback page. It is assumed that a patch has already been created on the Patch page prior to programming playbacks.
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Cues A cue is flexible on how many fixtures it targets; ranging from a single fixture to all. Likewise, it can control a single parameter or all of them. Programmer When recording cues, first create a lighting scene which will be then stored in the cue.
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7.2.2 Release To stop a running playback you need to ’release’ it. There are a few ways how to do this: Long-press the playback’s ’Go+’ button. Enable the Release button and then press a playback’s ’Go+’ button. Long-press the Release button; this will stop all playbacks. Program an action to release a playback Send a release command via the API 7.2.3...
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Append A new cue will be added at the end of the playback. Insert A new cue will be inserted at the current position. Replace The selected cue will have its value overwritten. Merge The selected cue will have its value merged with the values from the programmer. 7.2.4 Load It is also possible to transfer the content from a cue back to the programmer.
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7.2.6 Rename To rename a playback or fixture, first enable the Rename button and then click on a playback or fixture. FX Engine Your playback consists of cues and cues are static lighting ’looks’. To animate your lighting you usually create multiple cues and have the playback chase between them.
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Figure 7.6: Playback Editor 7.4.1 Precedence All active Playbacks produce DMX values. These values will be merged to- gether and sent to the DMX output. The precedence setting determines how this merging is done. Each playback can be set to either HTP (Highest Takes Precedence), LTP (Latest Takes Precedence) or Priority.
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Figure 7.7: Precedence 7.4.2 Release Time The release time defines the behaviour when the playback releases. If the time is set to 0s then the playback will shut off immediately. Otherwise the values will gradually fade out over the duration set by the release time field. 7.4.3 Repeat This property determines what the playback does when it finishes the last cue.
Chapter 8 Show Control The B-Station2 can interact with the outside world; the buttons on de device can be pressed or it can send and receive messages and values through various protocols. It is possible to automate the B-Station2 by having it respond auto- matically to incoming signals.
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1’ and ’channel 2’ respectively. The tasks determine what the B-Station2 will do when this action is triggered. Several tasks can be placed in the action. There are tasks available for a wide range of B-Station2 features and external protocols. Task types are detailed in Appendix B on page 72.
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DMX data System Events such as ’Start up’ Timer There are 4 internal timers in the B-Station2. An event can be raised when a timer starts or ends. Timers are set and activated by the Timer tasks. Variable There are 10 Variables in the B-Station2. The Variable source can trigger when the value of a variable is changed or refreshed.
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Figure 8.3 shows the screen when editing an action. Figure 8.3: Editing an action A trigger is determined by the trigger-type, trigger-value and trigger-flank fields. Although these fields are not applicable for all action-lists and are therefor sometimes omitted in the web GUI. The trigger-type field specifies what kind of signal the action will be triggered by.
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Variables Variables are part of the show control system in the B-Station2. There are 10 variables and each can hold a value in the range of [0,255]. These values can be manipulated by tasks and can be used for advanced action programming.
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Timers The show control system of the B-Station2 features four internal timers. By using tasks, the timers can be set to certain durations and they can be started. Once started the timers will countdown to zero. When the timer reaches zero it will generate an event that can be captured by using the Timer actionlist.
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Next in the actionlist Randomizer there is an action triggered by the Randomizer’s result. The task Playback, controlled by the result of the Randomizer, jumps to a cue in Playback 1. (The playback is chosen in Parameter 1 of the task Playback). When the button is pressed the randomizer picks a number between one and 10, as defined in the Randomizer task.
The B-Station2 supports various Ethernet-based protocols. Although some pro- tocols are predominantly used for triggering the internal playbacks (such as UDP and OSC) the B-Station2 is capable of converting one protocol into an- other. This chapter provides an insight on which conversions are possible and how to set them up.
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This category includes all protocols that carry a DMX Universe (a block of 512 DMX channels). These protocols are DMX, Art-Net, sACN and KiNet. The B-Station2 is capable of receiving a complete DMX universe from one protocol and sending it out on a different protocol. Furthermore, it is able to merge DMX universes from multiple sources into one output protocol.
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DMX Universe you wish to convert. The trigger-type in the actions should be set to UniverseA to make the B-Station2 process the 512 channels as a whole rather then process individual channels. The action should contain a DMX-task with the Feature set to Universe;...
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Figure 9.3: Converting Art-Net to DMX step 1 Figure 9.4: Converting Art-Net to DMX step 2...
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Figure 9.5: Converting Art-Net to DMX step 3...
Chapter 10 Monitors This page allows the user to inspect the incoming and outgoing data, both DMX-type data (See figure 10.1) as well as control messages (See figure 10.2). Monitoring incoming and outgoing data can help the user troubleshoot during programming.
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Output The combined Playback, ShowControl, DMX, Art-Net and sACN output. DMX Input The dmx signal physically inserted in the DMX port Art-Net Input The signal received over Art-Net sACN Input The signal received over sACN The messages received over TCP The messages send or received over UDP The messages send or received over OSC Timers...
Chapter 11 Settings The B-Station2’s settings are organised into sections, see the Settings page figure 11.1. This chapter will discuss each section. Figure 11.1: Settings page...
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11.1 General You can change the B-Station2’s label. This label can be used to distinguish the unit in a set-up with multiple devices. By enabling the Blink checkbox the device’s LED will blink to help to identify it amongst multiple devices.
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11.3 Buttons Here the six buttons of the B-Station2 are represented in the browser interface. They can be pressed for testing purposes. Figure 11.4: Buttons 11.4 The DMX settings specify wether the DMX port is an Input or output. Figure 11.5: DMX settings When the Slow DMX checkbox is enabled, the B-Station2 will slowdown the rate at which it sends out DMX from its ports.
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Art-Net network messages. 11.6 sACN The B-Station2 supports 1 incoming sACN universe and 1 outgoing universe. The universe field should hold a number in the range of [1,63999]. Outgoing sACN transmission can be disabled by entering off into the sACN output field.
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Figure 11.7: sACN settings 11.7 External equipment sending OSC messages to the B-Station2 need to be aware of the number specified in the ’Port’ field. This is the port the B-Station2 listens to for incoming messages. Figure 11.8: OSC Settings The B-Station2 will send its outgoing OSC messages to the IP addresses speci- fied in the ’Out IP’...
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Figure 11.9: TCP/IP settings 11.9 Cloud By enabling the Share Analytics options, you will help Visual Productions im- prove its products. When enabled, the B-Station2 will send low-bandwidth diagnostics and usage data to Visual Productions. This information remains anonymous. The Cloud ID is not implemented yet, and is for future function- ality.
Chapter 12 vManager A free-of-charge software tool called vManager has been developed to manage the devices. vManager allows for: Setup the IP address, subnet mask, router and DHCP Backup and restore the device’s internal data and settings Perform firmware upgrades Identify a specific device (in a multi device set-up) by blinking its LED Revert to factory defaults Figure 12.1: vManager...
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12.1 Backup Backups of all the programming data inside the device can be made. This backup file (an XML) is saved on the computer’s hard-disk and can be easily transferred via e-mail or USB stick. The data of the backup can be restored via the Restore button.
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12.3 Set Date & Time The computer’s date and time can be quickly copied to the unit by selecting a device and clicking the Set Date & Time button. Not all Visual Productions devices feature an internal real-time clock. 12.4 Blink The device’s LED can be set to Blink fast for identifying the particular unit...
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Android 5.0 or higher is required. 12.7.3 Windows Visit the Microsoft store at https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/vmanager/ 9nblggh4s758. Windows 10 is required. 12.7.4 macOS Visit the Apple macOS app store at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vmanager/ id1074004019. macOS 10.15 is recommended. 12.7.5 Ubuntu You can acquire the vManager from Snapcraft at https://snapcraft.io/ vmanager.
Kiosc is the ideal way to remote control our solid-state lighting controllers like CueluxPro, CueCore1, CueCore2, QuadCore, IoCore1, IoCore2, LPU-2, Dal- iCore, B-Station1 and the B-Station2. Kiosc enables you to choose scenes or presets, set intensity levels or choose RGB colours.
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Kiosc is available as software app and as a physical product. The hardware version of Kiosc is a wall-mount 7” touch screen with Kiosc pre-installed. It is powered by PoE and requires only a RJ-45 connection. Figure 13.2: Kiosc Please read the Kiosc manual, available from http://www.visualproductions. nl/downloads for more details.
Appendix A Trigger Types The following tables list the different types of triggers that can be used in the B-Station2. The different types are accompanied with values and flanks. Button Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description Button Button Index Change...
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Playback Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description Active Playback Index Change Playback starts or stops Active Playback Index Released Playback stops Active Playback Index Start Playback starts Release Playback Index Change Playback starts or finishes releasing Release Playback Index Released Playback finished releasing Release Playback Index...
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Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description Message String Receive a message that matches the trigger-value Receiving Receive any message The user can define his own string as the trigger value of a message. Please note that this string has a maximum length of 31 characters. Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank...
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Art-Net Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description Channel DMX Address Change Channel changes Channel DMX Address Non-zero Channel becomes non-zero Channel DMX Address Zero Channel becomes zero UniverseA A DMX level change in the first universe UniverseB A DMX level change in the second universe Receiving Change Start receiving or loose Art-Net signal...
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The Randomizer made a value that matches A.11 System Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description Startup The B-Station2 has been power up Network Connection Change Network connection established or lost Network Connection Stop Network connection lost Network Connection Start Network connection established...
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A.12 Variable Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description Channel Variable Index The specified variable changes Variable 1 Number [0,255] Change Variable 1 becomes equal or not equal to the specified number Variable 1 Number [0,255] Equal Variable 1 = number Variable 1 Number [0,255] Stop Equal...
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A.13 Timer Trigger Type Trigger Value Flank Description Channel Timer Index Change The timer starts or stops Channel Timer Index Stop The timer stops Channel Timer Index Start The timer starts Time Timer Index A Stream of the current time of that timer A.14 Actionlist Trigger Type...
Appendix B Task Types Tasks allow you to automate the functionality in the B-Station2. All this func- tionality is categorized in task-types. This appendix provides a listing of the various task-types. The tables present an overview of all available features and functions per task-type.
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Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2 Intensity Playback Index percentage [0%,100%] Intensity Control Playback Index Transport Pause Playback Index Transport Release Playback Index Transport Playback Index Transport Playback Index Transport Jump Playback Index Cue number[1,64] Transport Solo Playback Index Transport Random Solo Playback Index Play State...
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Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2 Intensity LED [1,6] Percentage [0%,100%] Intensity Set All Percentage [0%,100%] Intensity Toggle LED [1,6] Percentage [0%,100%] Intensity Control LED [1,6] Intensity Decrement LED [1,6] Delta [1,255] Intensity Increment LED [1,6] Delta [1,255] Intensity Fade in 0.3s LED [1,6] Percentage [0%,100%] Intensity...
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Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2 Send Float floating point number IP address & port Send Float Control IP address & port Send Unsigned positive number IP address & port Send Unsigned Control IP address & port Send Bool true or false IP address &...
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Manipulate the DMX levels. These are the levels that can also be send out via Art-Net or sACN. Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2 Universe Control HTP Universe Control LTP Universe Control Priority Universe Clear Set Channel DMX Channel DMX Value Set Channel Toggle DMX Channel...
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Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2 Set Value Variable # Number in the range of [0,255] Set Value Toggle Variable # Number in the range of [0,255] Set Value Control Variable # Set Value Inverted Control Variable # Set Value Decrement Variable # Set Value...
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B.11 Action Use the Link feature to have one action trigger another action. Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2 Link Action B.12 Action-list Manipulate an action-list. Feature Function Parameter 1 Parameter 2 Enable Action-list On or Off Enable Toggle Action-list Enable Control Action-list...
Appendix C Templates This appendix discusses the templates provided in the Show Control page. Template Description Buttons - 6 Playbacks Each button controls one playback. The LEDs indicate which playbacks are active. Buttons - 6 Cues Each button will jump one of the first six cues inside playback 1. The LEDs will indicate which cue is active.
Notwithstanding these API’s, it is possible to create your own OSC, TCP and UDP implementation in the Show Control page. The API is originally designed for external equipment to control the B-Station2, however, it is also capable to send information back. This feedback mechanism is discussed at the end of this chapter, on page 86.
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Parameter Description /core/pb/1/go+ Jump to the next cue in playback #1 /core/pb/1/go- Jump to the previous cue in playback #1 /core/pb/1/jump integer Jump to a specific cue in playback #1 /core/pb/1/release Release the playback /core/pb/1/intensity float Set the playback’s intensity /core/pb/release Release all playbacks /core/pb/intensity...
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Typically either TCP or UDP is supported by various media devices like video projectors and show controllers. The functionality within the B-Station2 can controlled by using the following ASCII strings (human readable text) messages: The following table uses playback #1 as an example. The number ’1’ can be...
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String Description core-pb-1-go+ Jump to the next cue in playback #1 core-pb-1-go- Jump to the previous cue in playback #1 core-pb-1-jump= integer Jump to a specific cue in playback #1 core-pb-1-release Release the playback core-pb-1-intensity= float Set the playback’s intensity core-pb-release Release all playbacks core-pb-intensity= float...
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HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol) is the standard protocol to access web pages. It can also be used to control the B-Station2, using the URLs listed below. The following table uses playback #1 as an example. The number ’01’ can be replaced by any number in the range of [01,06].
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’clients’. The B-Station2 keeps a memory of the last four OSC clients and last four UDP clients. The clients will automatically receive updates on several playback related state changes. Below is a table listing the messages the B-Station2 will send back to its clients.
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The hello command is ideal for polling the device; it allows you to verify that the B-Station2 is online at the IP address and port that you expect. A power-cycle will clear the internal client lists. Send /core/goodbye or core-goodbye to explicitly be removed from the client list.
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